


We Are the Lions

by thestarofspace



Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Alpha Scott, Angst, Beta Derek, Canon Divergence, Erica and Boyd are alive, Future AU, Happy Ending, M/M, Magic Stiles, Pining, Road Trip, badass stiles, everything except sterek is background relationships, sterek, witch Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 08:48:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11227470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thestarofspace/pseuds/thestarofspace
Summary: Sitting up slowly, Stiles tried to take in his surroundings. His eyes went wide as he started to recognize the familiar streets. “You’re taking me back to Beacon Hills?”“I’m hoping it will knock some sense into you. You murdered at least two humans last night Stiles. Two. Humans. Besides, a visit home is long overdue,” Derek grumbled out the last part and Stiles started to laugh.“Don’t you think I avoided coming here for a reason Derek? Beacon Hills was home to me long ago. But it stopped being home when Scott was turned into a werewolf.”~*~Seven years after Stiles leaves Beacon Hills, Derek runs into him and literally drags him home. After a few days of awkward encounters with The Pack, Stiles and Derek go on a trip to take care of some murderous witches Stiles has been tracking.





	1. One More Murder

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ParadiseDesdemona](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ParadiseDesdemona/gifts).
  * Inspired by [We Are the Lions](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11224908) by [ParadiseDesdemona](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ParadiseDesdemona/pseuds/ParadiseDesdemona). 



> First off, thank you so so much to paradisedesdemona for the amazing piece of art that inspired this fic. Each chapter is one of the songs in the playlist and there might be an epilogue coming out in a few months with a hidden song ;) 
> 
> And thank you Sterek Reverse Bang for setting all this up! I had so much fun and made a new friend so this has been a fantastic experience. I cannot wait until everyone has posted and we can see all the wonderful things to have come from this.
> 
> xx GalaxyBee

“In virtute mors est.  
In virtute mors est.  
In virtute mors est.”

The body lay still on the table, rendered unconscious from a small dose of poison. Fifteen hooded people surrounded the table. The chanting continued as one person pulled a knife from their robes and held it above the body. They pointed it down and struck swiftly, piercing the man in the chest. The chanting got louder as one by one the other hooded figures pulled out knives of various colors, sizes, and decorations. The chanting reached a crescendo of sound before falling painfully quiet. The silence was tangible and Stiles repressed a shudder. Everyone stabbed the man on the table in one swift motion, a loud squishing noise replacing the silence.

Stiles was stopped by another member as they were leaving that night. “I don’t know who he was but I can feel the power already.” They raised a hand and inspected it before continuing. “He was a good choice. Thank you.” Stiles merely grinned and shrugged before heading home knowing full well the world was better without a man like that in it.

 

The spell was knocked away by Jon’s knife-it flew to the left and a loud crash was heard. Jon scanned the room, his eyes wide with panic. There was a glimmer of light to his left as another spell came towards him. He dodged the blow and ran towards where the spell had come from, muttering a speed spell under his breath before jumping into the air to come crashing down on where he believed his assailant to be; however, there was no one there. Jon stayed on the ground. His stamina was beginning to fail and he was exhausted from casting so many spells. What he needed was to rest. He used a burst of energy to send the word “hide” to Evie. As he turned around, a knife went into his side and he froze in shock as he came face-to-face with his attacker.

“Stiles? But…” Jon trailed off as his eye searched Stiles’, trying to understand what was happening. 

Stiles twisted the knife and watched Jon fall to the ground.

“But you’re one of us,” Jon said with his last breath.

“I’ve never been one of anything,” Stiles spat out before going through Jon’s pockets. Stiles took Jon’s knife and the black witches salt he had on his person. There was a loud click and Stiles’ head snapped up at the sound. A door had just shut. Stiles ran silently towards where the sound had come from, eyes scanning every nook and cranny trying to find Evie, Jon’s girlfriend. They never went anywhere without each other so Stiles knew the sound had to be her trying to hide. 

As Stiles entered another room he saw Evie fall and cry out in pain. She had always been so clumsy and now it would be her downfall. He stalked forward in plain sight, not bothering to try to be sneaky. Evie knew what would happen next. She would be expecting it at this point. 

“Stiles, please,” Evie begged, hands out, palms facing him and she tried to slide backwards. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Ah, Evie, but I do. I can’t have you telling people what happened to Jon.”

She shook her head quickly as she backed into the wall, effectively cutting off any escape routes. “No that’s fine! I won’t tell anyone Stiles. I’ll stay quiet. You can come back to the coven and and and I’ll even vouch for you saying we were watching a movie tonight or something! Besides, I’m sure you had a reason to kill Jon. He was a right ass, we all knew that.”

 

“Evie, I’m not going to stop until you’re all dead.” Stiles pulled a gun out of the back of his pants and pointed it at her head. “You’re just one more down.”

An arm shot out of seemingly nowhere and yanked on Stiles’ wrist, forcing the shot to go into the air. “Go!” the man yelled at the girl, turning to face Stiles completely. 

Stiles snarls at the intruder, but keeps his eyes on the girl as she scrambles away. “Let go!” He whips his face around to look at his assailant once Evie leaves the room and his eyes go wide. “Derek?”

Stiles struggled against Derek’s grip. “I have to kill her, let me go.”

Derek let out a humorless laugh, “Stiles do you hear yourself? You have to kill her? What happened to you? We aren’t supposed to kill innocent humans.”

“We? Derek there hasn’t-” Stiles let out a frustrated groan. “Listen, I don’t have time for this.” Stiles used his free hand to reach into his pocket and pull out some dust that was black and blue. He blew some into Derek’s face, said “prohibere,” and Derek froze, totally immobilized. He couldn’t even form words. His eyes darted around and followed Stiles as he ran into the room Evie went into.

Stiles scanned the room, but there were crates everywhere. She could have hidden anywhere. “Evie,” he tried calling out. “Evie, we have to leave. There’s a werewolf here. I won’t hurt you.” 

Evie’s blonde head popped out from behind a crate. Stiles faked a limp as he made his way over to her. “Don’t come closer!” she shrieked and Stiles froze. “I can’t trust you. But I knew that man wasn’t human.”

Stiles sighed, “Fine.” He held up the gun and shot her twice in the head. There was a gasp behind him as Derek walked into the room.

“Stiles, what the hell are you doing? Did you kill that guy back there too?”

Stiles rolled his eyes before turning to face Derek. “I don’t know what you’re doing in LA Derek, but you need to leave me alone. Just let me handle this. Go home. Pretend you never found me.”

“What I’m doing is investigating the string of murders that has been happening this past month! Did you know a man who lived right outside Beacon Hills was found dead in LA yesterday? Whatever you’re doing, you’re coming close to home and we were worried it would affect us.”

“Yes, of course I knew that Derek. But I’m dealing with it. Go home.” Stiles turned his back on Derek and started to leave.

“I’m sorry about this,” Derek whispered, more to himself than to Stiles. He surged forward and hit Stiles on his head, effectively knocking him out.


	2. Youth Knows No Pain

Stiles woke up on leather seats. He groaned in pain as he rubbed the back of his head where a bump was forming. He looked around and squinted as he realized he was in some sort of car. Sitting up slowly, Stiles tried to take in his surroundings. His eyes went wide as he started to recognize the familiar streets. “You’re taking me back to Beacon Hills?”

“I’m hoping it will knock some sense into you. You murdered at least two humans last night Stiles. Two. Humans. Besides, a visit home is long overdue,” Derek grumbled out the last part and Stiles started to laugh.

“Don’t you think I avoided coming here for a reason Derek? Beacon Hills was home to me long ago. But it stopped being home when Scott was turned into a werewolf.”

“What are you talking about? I know it took some time for the pack to form, but you belong here with the rest of us. When you moved out to Cincinnati for school we were all expecting you to come visit but you didn’t. Not even once in the four years you were at school. And then after that we didn’t hear anything! You’ve been gone for seven years and we had no idea where you were or what you were doing.” Derek’s knuckles were turning white with the force he was using to grip the steering wheel.

“I was doing fine! And clearly I should have just stayed out there.”

“Why didn’t you?” Derek shot back.

“I had shit to do, Derek. Responsibilities,” Stiles’ arms flailed around as he spoke. “They lead me back over here to LA.”

“Responsibilities?” Derek huffed, clearly annoyed. “What about your responsibilities to your pack?”

“There you go again trying to lump me with you guys. I haven’t been part of the pack since the beginning and you know it.” 

Derek slammed on the brakes and pulled the car over to the side of the road. “What the fuck? In the beginning you were the only other person in Scott’s pack. You were the second member.”

Stiles rolled his eyes and sat back on the seat. “Sure, okay. Where are we going anyway?” he asked, trying to shift Derek’s attention.

“Stiles, seriously what are you talking about? You’ve been important since day one. How can you not see that?”

Stiles looked Derek in the eyes and said very slowly and enunciated, as if he was talking to a toddler, “Where. Are. We. Going?”

Derek caved after a short stare-off, “We’re going to your dad’s.” Derek pulled the car back on the road and they continued in silence for a few miles.

“What type of car is this?” Stiles asked eventually. “And what happened to your Camaro?”

“It’s a Honda CRV, and my Camaro was…totaled in a fight.”

Stiles burst out laughing, “Your quarter life crisis car was totaled and you traded it in for a mom car?”

“It was more practical,” Derek grumbled out. “And it wasn’t a quarter life crisis car! It made sense back then.”

“Okay, sure it did.” Stiles fell silent again as they continued to make their way towards the Sheriff’s house. 

As they drove, Stiles tried to take in as much of their surroundings as he could. His dad had told him about some of the changes that happened to the town in the seven years he was gone, but there were definitely still surprises. Where there had once been a locally owned coffee shop now stood a Starbucks and apparently a mall was being built not too far away from the center of town. Stiles could only hope that his favorite diner, Missy’s, was still up and open 24/7 like the neon sign had always said. In the later parts of his High School career, Stiles had spent many nights alone in the diner trying to figure out what they were dealing with or how to get away from everyone. In fact, Stiles had become such a regular that before he left for Cincinnati he had a teary goodbye with the owner of the diner who had made him promise that if he ever found himself back in Beacon Hills he had to visit.

As they pulled into his dad’s driveway Stiles’ face scrunched in confusion at the lack of cars. “What no pack?”

“Thought we would take it one step at a time,” Derek explained, climbing out of the car and waiting for Stiles to do the same. “Trust me, they are eager to see you and are waiting at my apartment for us to head over there. Scott thought this would be best.”

“Oooh, is Scott the alpha now?” Stiles joked.

Derek’s eyes flash blue. “Yes.” One of Stiles’ eyebrows shot up in a silent question, but Derek turned away. “I’ll go to the pack first. Go see your dad.”

Stiles waits to knock on the door until after he hears Derek drive away. His dad opens the door with a small smile and pulls him in for a hug. “Hey kiddo. Haven’t seen you in a couple of weeks.”

Stiles laughs and comes inside, looking around the house to see what all had changed. “Yeah, I figured I’d come see you for once rather than the other way around.”

“Well, I have some boxes in your room for storage, but I haven’t touched anything. It’s the same as always.”

“Thanks, dad,” Stiles says with a smile. “But you know I wouldn’t have minded if you got rid of my stuff.”

The Sheriff shrugged. “I just thought in case you ever wanted to come back to Beacon Hills I should leave it alone. Though I am confused as to why Derek drove you and you have no bags.”

“Yeah…” Stiles grimaced. “I guess they wanted to see me so badly they weren’t above kidnapping.”

“I really hope you’re joking son,” the Sheriff said, stone-faced. 

Stiles decided to leave it up in the air. He didn’t want to give his father a reason to be angry, but he didn’t want to lie to him either. “I think I’m going to take a shower.”

The Sheriff sighed and nodded. “I was told to send you over to Derek’s, but you’re an adult and can make up your own mind. However, I do think it would be good for you to see them.” He looks into Stiles’ eyes and smiles. “It’s good to have you home son. I’ve got to go into work. You know where everything is.” 

After he left Stiles rubbed his hands through his hair trying to decide what to do. In the end, he decided he should just go to Derek’s seeing as Derek would probably come hunt him down again and drag his ass over that way anyway. Stiles took a quick shower and found some old clothes in his bedroom that still fit to change into before heading downstairs to look for his Jeep’s keys.

~~~

Stiles stood in front of Derek’s front door for a solid five minutes before he had the courage to knock. The sound was met with a melody of voices all saying “come in!” at the same time. Stiles cringed thinking about how they had probably practiced that before he got there.

When he opened the door, he froze. Everyone was there and they were all piled on the couch with an empty chair facing it. Stiles balled his hands into fists and stiffly made his way over to the interrogation chair bracing himself for an onslaught of questions. But much to his relief, they started with their lives.

“We’re engaged!” Erica shrieked as soon as he sat down. She bounced up from the couch and showed Stiles her ring. “Isn’t it perfect? Boyd proposed about two years ago and now that you’re back we can finally get married!”

Stiles looked up to find Boyd staring at Erica with a fond smile on his face. He made eye contact with Stiles and gave a soft shrug. “She wanted you there. Says it’s not official if all the pack members aren’t there.”

Stiles gave the couple a tight-lipped smile. “I’m not pack. You could have gotten married at any time. Besides, I’m not here for long. But,” he hastily continued when he saw the rage on everyone’s faces. “I’ll think about going to the wedding.” 

“You better seeing as you’ll be in it,” Erica said as she sat back down on Boyd’s lap. “And before you can protest, I still consider you to be one of my best friends even if we haven’t talked in seven years.”

“Low standard for friends then,” Stiles said with a huff. His eyes slid over to where Scott was sitting in the middle of the couch with Isaac and Allison on either side of him.

“All three of us are a couple and everyone accepts that,” Scott said noticing his gaze.

“Seeing how the alternative would be you three continuously breaking up with each other for another one of you, I don’t see why we wouldn’t,” Malia said half-laughing.

Allison batted at Malia and rested her head on Scott. “I’m a teacher, Isaac is figuring things out, and Scott got into vet stuff,” she said with a wave of her hand.

“What grade?” Stiles asked, setting back into the chair, forcing himself to look relaxed.

“I teach Kindergarten. They’re lovely little runts,” Allison replied with a smile. “I love it.”

“It definitely suits you.” Stiles smiled back.

“I’m helping out at the school too,” Derek offered up from where he stood behind the couch. “I’m a teacher’s aid or helper or whatever you call it.”

“Can’t say that suits you big guy,” Stiles laughs. “I don’t know what I expected you to be doing, but it wasn’t that.”

Derek shrugged and stared off into the distance, tuning out everyone else there, one ear always pointed in Stiles’ direction.

“I’m next!” Lydia’s hand shot up from where she was perched on the side of the couch. “Short version is that I’m in graduate school for theoretical math and I have a lovely girlfriend who we all decided shouldn’t be here since you don’t know her. But she’s lovely and everyone loves her.”

The whole group nodded and Stiles nodded slowly back. “The long version?”

“There’s heartache, death, and a missing tail, but we do not have time for that now.”

“Oh good.” Stiles looked around the group. “No Danny or Jackson?”

“They’re in New York City being gay pioneers,” Lydia continued with a fond sigh. “But they have the decency to keep in touch when they move to the other side of the country.”

“Oh yes, piss me off,” Stiles said, sitting up on the edge of his chair. ”Make me remember the reasons I left. Please.”

“I didn’t mean it that way. Okay I did, but,” Lydia said when everyone gave her The Look™. “I’m still just sad you cut us all out so fully when you left.”

Stiles shrugged and looked at Malia and Kira. “What about you two?”

 

“There’s not much going on in our lives. We are waitresses while we try to make this YouTube channel work and we are both single,” Kira explained.

“Yeah okay, you two aren’t dating and I’m not engaged,” Erica said with a roll of her eyes. “You two are together, just admit it.”

“We arent!” Malia protested.

“You two smell like each other all the time,” Isaac pointed out.

“That’s because we are roommates and are working together!” Kira sounded exasperated as though she had this argument on almost a daily basis.

“Don’t listen to them. They can think what they want they will anyways.” Malia pulled Kira in closer to her and ignored the looks and protests of all the members of the pack.

After everyone quieted down, they all trained their eyes on Stiles, even Derek. “So...where have you been and what have you been doing?” Lydia asked Stiles.


	3. Spirits

“So...where have you been and what have you been doing?” Lydia asked Stiles, her head cocked to the side. 

Stiles licks his lips and opened and closed his mouth a few times before he could even think of anything to say. “Well, I went away for school thinking if I got some space I would be able to clear my head and think straight. Turns out I was right. I needed that more than I thought I did.

“I made some new friends and I realized how shit I was treated here.”

“Stiles you weren’t treated--”

“Scott, I swear if you don’t stay quiet I’ll leave. You asked me what was going on and I’m giving you the courtesy of me sitting here and talking to you. If you want me to talk, you all need to shut up and listen.” Stiles looked around the room and waited for everyone to nod before continuing. Stiles noted that almost everyone in the room had been put on edge by Stiles having verbally attacked their new Alpha, Malia and Derek the exceptions.

“As I was saying, I made new friends and fell in love with Philosophy. I’m actually getting my PhD in Ethics so I can become a professor back out at my Undergrad college so I can help other kids like me.

“I’m not dating anyone,” Stiles said with a slight chuckle. “I just got out of a serious relationship with this girl who didn’t like the fact that I still identified as Bi even though I was dating her.” Stiles shook his head. “Some people are dumb, what can I say.”

Stiles got quiet and nodded a few times. “And that’s that.” Every member of the pack narrowed their eyes at Stiles and he let out a long sigh. “And then! Then I started killing random people! At least that’s what Derek thinks.”

“Why don’t you explain to us why you killed those humans? And why you don’t smell normal,” Scott said with a concerned look on his face. “Actually, you smell too normal. You don’t smell like you, more like just an average human. I know you haven’t seen us in seven years but you don’t even smell like your dad and you were just at his house.”

Stiles stared above everyone’s heads and stayed quiet for a few moments before speaking again. “I don’t have my normal scent because I spelled it away.”

The whole pack tensed up, and Malia spoke first. “Like...how a witch spells things?”

“Exactly like how a witch spells things,” Stiles said with a nod. “I got into witchcraft not long after moving out East and I’m really good at it. I love it.” Stiles held his hand up and made some gold wisps dance around his hand before closing it into a fist. 

“You spelling you scent almost got you killed,” Derek whispered. “I almost killed you because I just thought you were some human murdering others.”

Stiles let out a listless laugh, “You could try to kill me but as I proved back there I would win.”

“But Stiles,” Erica piped up before Derek could respond. “Why were you killing people? Innocent humans?”

“What does it matter? I made it known long ago I didn’t want anything to do with you all so stop prying,” Stiles retorted, defenses up.

“I told you more than you deserve to know since I was dragged here against my will. I’m glad you’re all doing well, really I am. I don’t wish ill on you, I just wish you would let me live my life even if that means you’re not in it. I’ll be civil with you all, but I don’t owe you any explanations.”

Stiles’ phone rang after a few moments of silence in which the pack all stared at him with looks of shock. It was a friend from his PhD program and Stiles excused himself, leaving the pack to talk over everything without him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another super short chapter but they start to get longer after this! Promise haha


	4. Human

In the two days since The Confrontation, as Stiles likes to call it, he has noticed Derek following him everywhere he goes. It was starting to put Stiles on edge. Before walking into Missy’s for lunch, Stiles spoke seemingly to himself, knowing that Derek could hear him, “Why don’t you come inside and sit down with me and we can talk instead of having you lurk in the bushes like some creep.”

Stiles was sitting down in his normal booth for only a few minutes before Derek sat down opposite him. They order food and coffee before they start talking to each other.

“So, are you going to tell me why you’ve been following me around?” Stiles starts.

Derek let out a long sigh. “You really hurt everyone, Stiles. I know it’s been seven years, but you said you wanted to be civil. If you really want to be civil, walking out while telling everyone you never want to see them again is not the way to go about it.”

Stiles nodded in agreement. “I know. I would like to be able to be around everyone. I was just….so hurt seeing how fine everyone was without me.” He took a second to compose himself, buying time by taking a sip of his coffee. Derek sat there sipping on water, letting him take his time.

“Everyone just moved on and you’re all excelling at life and I’m in deep shit and I don’t know. Maybe...maybe I am a problem.” 

The waitress came by and put their food down. “It’s good to see you again Stiles,” she said with a smile and a hair ruffle. “Some extra bacon, on us.” She winked at him before walking into the back.

“Stiles,” Derek stumbled, trying to find where to start. “Listen, when you first up and left? You didn’t tell any of us that you were even leaving. The next full moon was one of the roughest we had all experienced. Hardly anyone had any control and Lydia had to go Banshee on us and,” Derek shuddered, remembering the struggle.

“The first few years were tough on all of us. We fought a lot with you gone. It’s taken time for us to even appear to be this fine. And not everyone is fine now.”

“And the alpha thing? When and why did that happen?” Stiles asked around a mouth-full of food.

Derek ate a whole pancake before answering. “It was about a year since you had left. Your dad told us you would be staying in Cincinnati for the summer and we all started fighting again. No one wanted to listen to me. Some of them blamed me for you leaving,” Derek paused as Stiles reached out and briefly placed his hand on Derek’s arm. “Anyway, everyone was choosing to listen to Scott rather than me. I had heard rumors of some alphas passing on the job to another were without death, so I tried it. I half expected it to fail, honestly.

“But it worked and now we’re here. They’re all happy that he’s alpha now so I’m glad they’re happy.”

Stiles’ face scrunched up as he fought internally with what to say. “It was everyone, Derek. Not just you. And you were a fine Alpha. Hell, the pack wouldn’t exist if you weren’t ever there”

Derek noded but refused to look at Stiles. They finished their meal with lighter conversation, and Stiles agreed to come to movie night with the pack as long as Derek stops following him around. Derek made sure to point out how small of a town Beacon Hills was before agreeing--if they happen to be in the same place at the same time from now on it would just be a coincidence.

~~~

 

“These characters are so loosely based on the comics it’s ridiculous!” Stiles exclaimed as they started up another episode of Riverdale. “And I thought this was movie night, not TV-show-marathon night.”

“Yes well, we all wanted to see this show so shut up and stop complaining,” Lydia said from her spot on the couch wedged between Allison and her girlfriend, Kathryn. 

“You just like that Cheryl is basically you,” Malia laughed.

Lydia shrugged and everyone got quiet as the next episode started. Stiles hated to admit it, but he was actually having fun and he liked the show. It was still weird being around everyone, but as the night went on Stiles became more and more okay with the idea of coming back to Beacon Hills every now and then and seeing them. Now his dad wouldn’t have to be the only one travelling, and with him getting older that was a reassurance for Stiles. He was actually filled with an aura of calm and settled down deeper into the couch and Derek who he was sitting next to. Derek shifted and his arm draped over the back of Stiles.

Two more hours in, Stiles’ phone buzzed from his pocket. He pulled it out and saw it was someone from the coven him, Jon, and Evie were a part of. He excused himself from the room and went out into the hallway. Stiles whispered a silencing spell so the pack couldn’t hear him before answering. 

“Stiles?” There was panic in the boy’s voice.

“Yeah it’s me, Kev. What’s up?”

“Where have you been? No one has seen you since Jon and Evie went missing and we just found them. They’re dead Stiles. It’s official. Someone is trying to kill us off.”

“Whoa, slow down Kev. I had to go see my dad. He’s ill,” Stiles lied easily. He had been lying to these people since the day he met them. It was almost harder to tell the truth than come up with a lie. “But Jon and Evie… they’re what?”

“They’re dead. Jon was stabbed and his knife was taken and Evie was shot. She still has her dagger on her, but Jolie still thinks it’s another coven targeting us and taking our power,” Kev explained. “She thinks they were rushed after killing Evie. And the weirdest part?” he paused for dramatic effect.

“The weirdest part?” Stiles probed.

“There’s traces of a werewolf here. Who knows how that happened.”

“Yeah that’s weird.” Stiles silently cursed at Derek for not letting him clean up the murder scene before kidnapping him. If they linked the deaths to werewolves… The Beacon Hills pack was the closest one to the murder scene. If they think the werewolf had anything to do with it then this would be their next stop. “Who does Jolie think is doing it?”

“She knows it has to be a powerful coven. They’ve been covering their tracks really well, until this one that is. But she thinks it’s this coven out in Ohio.”

Stiles froze up. “Ohio?”

“Yeah, she thinks it’s the coven based out of Mariemont--this little town right outside of Cincinnati,” Kev said, solidifying Stiles’ fear. “We’re going to be moving on them in a few weeks when the moon is full. You should head out that way. I’ll get Jolie to send you your travel guide. And Stiles?”

“Yeah, Kev?” Stiles said, trying to sound relaxed and not in utter panic.

“I’m glad you’re okay. We were worried they had gotten you too.”

Stiles let out a laugh. “No. And about that coven Jolie thinks it is...I know them. But, I really don’t think murdering people was their MO.”

“She said she has proof Stiles. Are you questioning her?” Kev’s voice took on a sharp edge and Stiles knew he was close to being penalized for his actions.

“No of course not,” Stiles said quickly. “Have Jolie text me the details and the travel path. I’ll be there.”

Stiles took a few moments to breathe before heading back to his dad’s, forgetting to go say bye to his old friends.


	5. Alone Together

That night Stiles left a note for his dad telling him some lie about how he was needed back at his PhD program to speak with his mentor. He said that he actually had fun and would definitely come back to Beacon Hills in the future and that he’d call him in the morning. Then, he rounded up a jacket and some cash he had hidden back in high school, not surprised it was still hidden, before getting into his Jeep and heading back to LA. 

Jolie had sent him the travel guide, and even though it had him starting from Beacon Hills, he needed to stop by his apartment and get some clothes and other materials before he could head out East. Since Derek had dragged his unconscious body from the murder scene, the only tools Stiles had on him were the two daggers, his gun, and the black witches salt he had taken from Jon. While he was grateful Derek hadn’t taken those items off him, he still needed some more tools.

“So, where are we going?” Derek asked from the back seat as Stiles bit into a slimjim. 

“What the fuck?” Stiles swerved his Jeep and had it not been 2:30 AM he probably would have hit another car. “Derek? When the hell did you get in here? I checked the back seats before leaving and you definitely weren’t there.”

Derek nodded at Stiles’ food. “When you stopped to get gas and sacks I got in. You really shouldn’t leave your car unlocked. Anyone could have gotten in.”

“Yeah and it looks like someone did. Were you following me?” Stiles glared at Derek through the rearview mirror.

“Well, when you left to take the phone call and never came back everyone got worried. I went to your house and saw you jump into the Jeep and take off. Wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

Stiles grumbled a few choice words under his breath that Derek was kind enough to pretend not to hear. 

“Oh and, I’m coming with you no matter what. You can try to kick me out of the car but I’ll just run on the road beside you.” Derek climbed over into the passenger seat and took a simjim for himself. “So, like I asked before, where are we going?”

“You can’t just get into people’s cars Derek! And I’m fine. That was a friend from LA I have to go see him,” Stiles waved a hand in Derek’s direction. “He’s sick.”

Derek cocked his head and hummed. “You’ve gotten better at lying but I’m still a werewolf. What’s really going on? Does this have to do with the other murders? That girl Evie and the guy with her?”

Stiles raised an eyebrow and tried to look at Derek and keep an eye on the road at the same time. When that proved to be as difficult as it sounds, he faced the road and sighed in defeat. “Fine. Since you’ll just follow me anyway I guess I’ll tell you…”

“And my charming company. You like having me around for that too.”

Stiles’ jaw dropped and he sputtered a few times. “You made a joke! It’s even a serious situation!”

Derek let out a huff through his nose. “A lot has changed in seven years, Stiles. You’ve only just started to get to know me again.”

“Well I’ll make that a priority on this trip then,” Stiles said with a laugh. “But on a more serious note, yes, this is about Evie and Jon. Or really about our coven. Their coven. That I’m technically in? Uh…” Stiles trailed off trying to think of where to start. “This all started back when I lived in Ohio. When I was there I befriended some...eclectic witches. They did what they wanted as long as it didn’t kill anyone, and they taught me how to master this power I had. And my favorite professor was actually one of the higher ups in the coven! He was so cool and I had to ask him for help with classes and we sort of became mentor and trainee. It ended up being when he wasn’t teaching me about Philosophy, he was teaching me about magic.

“It was something that I was good at and people were actually asking me for help! And they listened when I had ideas or was even just babbling on. It was so different from the way it was in Beacon Hills. Like, there I felt like I was valued and seen as a person.” Stiles glanced at Derek out of the corner of his eye, waiting for a protest of ‘we listened’ or something to that nature. Derek stayed silent and nodded at Stiles to continue.

“So, one day, that professor of mine tells me he has to go back home. He received a distress call from his old coven in Oregon and needed to go check it out. He sends me a message telling me he made it out there and that was the last I ever heard from him. All of my attempts to contact him fizzled and I did a spell and...and that’s how I found out he was dead.” Stiles had to stop and wipe at a tear that had fallen. 

“It took a long while, but eventually I found out what happened. He was murdered along with everyone in his old coven by this new coven of power hungry witches. They believed if you killed someone, you got their power and life force as long as you do this ritual. They even make these special knives,” Stiles paused here and reached into his jacket pocket to pull out his own knife. “This one is mine. They have you make one when you’re initiated into the coven.”

“Wait, you’re part of this murderous group?” The shock Derek felt was clear in his voice. “You use this,” he said, grabbing the knife from Stiles and dangling it in front of his face, “to gain power?”

“No...well yes...but...no? Let me finish my story.” Stiles took the knife from Derek and put it back in his pocket. “After I tracked down the coven that killed him, I moved out to where they were based to spy on them, only it was really hard to track them. And I’m good at this Derek, if I say it’s hard to track them, then it’s fucking hard.”

Derek nodded in encouragement and Stiles continued, “I was able to convince one of the members I tracked down to let me meet their leader and then I convinced her I’d be a good addition to the coven. I needed an in so I could find out how many of them there were. Then, one by one, I started killing them off. I’m not strong enough to take them all on at once, but being on the inside means they trust me so I can get them alone and kill them and take their knives. If I take them then the coven can’t re-distribute the power they think is kept in the knife.

“Now, usually I cover my tracks. They think only five of them have been murdered and the rest have betrayed them and left. But when they found Evie and Jon, those are the ones you tried to stop me from killing, they realized they were being targeted. Their leader, Jolie, she was able to trace the killer back to my old coven! I don’t know how she did it or if she’s bluffing, or really I don’t know much. But that call I got tonight? It was this guy Kev. He told me everyone was going to move in on my old coven and I cannot let that happen. I have to stop it. Especially since it’s my fault in the first place. So now I have to kill off the rest of the people in the coven to save my old friends.” Stiles finished talking and remained silent, waiting for Derek to say something.

“How many of them are left?” Derek finally asked.

“Ten.”

“How many were there when you got there?”

Stiles remained silent figuring some things were better left a mystery. Besides, he didn’t want to admit himself how far off his original path he had fallen.

“Okay,” Derek sighed. “I’m in. I’ll help you get rid of the rest.”

“Really?” Stiles asked, trying not to get his hopes up. It would be great to have someone else on his side for once in this battle, and if that someone was a powerful werewolf that made it even better.

“Yes, really. But you said something about them killing people and getting their powers? How did you blend in if you weren’t killing other random people?”

Stiles pursed his lips and grunted. “Well, we would have these rituals where we would alternate who would have to go find someone for us to kill. When it was my turn to find someone I would make sure they were a criminal and then bring them in for some twisted justice. That guy missing from near Beacon Hills? We killed him a few days ago. I found him stalking some girl and at his house there were some strands of hair still connected to pieces of scalp and there were so many colors. He had been stalking and murdering girls for months before I found him. But I’ve also killed my fair share of innocent people that the other members of the coven brought in, and I’ve hated myself for it from day one.”

Derek put his hand on Stiles arm and gave a reassuring squeeze. “How else would you have been able to find all these people and stop them, Stiles? You didn’t have a choice.”

“I guess. It still gives me nightmares.”

“If it didn’t, then that would be a problem.” Derek smiled at Stiles and Stiles smiled back.

“Thank you. For listening and not judging and helping me. Oh and uh...thank you for not telling the pack,” Stiles grinned up at Derek. “I really don’t want them to know or worry.”

Derek rolled his eyes and leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes as he got comfortable. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell them. Wake me up when we get to wherever we are going. Which you still haven’t told me by the way.”

“Oh right! First, we are heading to my apartment in LA. I have to grab some things before we go out to Ohio where we are meeting the coven and we’ll murder them all.”

Derek laughed. “Okay sounds good.”


	6. Hollow Moon

When they got to Stiles’ apartment, he hastily made a bed on the couch for Derek to use. They both went to bed quickly and were up and running around by ten.

“I have some things I need to pick up while we’re in LA,” Stiles shouts from his room as Derek makes breakfast. “You should stay here. I promise I won’t be long.” 

Stiles pokes his head in the kitchen and watches Derek briefly as he scrambles some eggs. “Are you making breakfast?”

“Hardly,” Derek snorts. “All you had were eggs and some bacon.”

“If that’s not breakfast, then what is?”

Derek simply shook his head and shooed Stiles out of the kitchen. “Go get your supplies. The food will be ready when you get back.”

“Okay yeah.” Stiles grabbed the keys to his Jeep and opened his apartment door. “Do you need me to get you anything, by the way?”

“Nah I’m good. I actually have a bag I keep with me at all times. It’s in the Jeep.”

“Huh, smart. Okay text me if you need anything!” Stiles shut the door and Derek continued to make breakfast.

Derek was done making breakfast before Stiles get back and his curiosity got the better of him. He traveled from room to room in the apartment taking in as much as possible. The walls were bare in every room. There were only a few pieces of furniture scattered about and there wasn’t even a TV. Derek heard the front door unlock and Stiles stumbled in with what sounded like three plastic bags full and rustling. He peeked out from Stiles bedroom and Stiles smiled at him.

“Find anything juicy?” Stiles asked, wagging his eyebrows at Derek.

“There’s nothing here. You don’t even have a TV. Why is it so…empty?”

Stiles shrugged. “It’s a reminder not to stay. My place in Ohio has two TVs. I think you’ll like it better there.”

“You have a place in Ohio still?” Derek questioned as he followed Stiles into the kitchen. They both made some plates and sat at the counter. 

“Yeah, I thought I’d only be out here for a few weeks. It’s been about two months now though.”

“What about your PhD program?”

“Oh that’s real,” Stiles said around a mouthful of food. “I needed a cover as to why I was moving out here. I’m probably going to quit and try to find one out East as soon as this is all over though. I don’t really like any of the professors out here and it’s far too hot. And now I miss the snow.”

“It’s only October. What do you mean you miss the snow?”

“You don’t know the midwest, my friend. The snow comes at all times of the year. Oh! I have some things for you.”

“Things?” Derek cleaned up breakfast as Stiles ran around and dug through the plastic bags.

“To spell your aura away. Or to change it or...whatever. Technical terms have never been my forte, but I know how to make these things do what I want.”

Derek came out to the living room where Stiles was drawing on the floor with chalk and sprinkling yellow and pink dust. He was pushed into the middle of many circles and given a white candle to hold. Stiles lit the candle with a snap and grinned up at Derek. “I haven’t lit a candle any other way since I found out I could do that.”

Derek chuckled and looked around. Stiles began placing some stones around him and then got into the circle with Derek. Stiles grabbed the candle over Derek’s hands so they were both touching. “Now stay quiet,” Stiles said before closing his eyes and mouthing words Derek couldn’t make out.

A few moments went by when Stiles suddenly stopped speaking and opened his eyes. He blew the candle out and began cleaning up. “There we go, all done.”

“Just like that?” Derek asked looking down at himself trying to find a change. “I don’t feel any different.”

“You won’t notice anything, just other people who are part of the supernatural world won’t be able to tell you’re a werewolf now. But!” Stiles stepped close to Derek and locked eyes with him. “As soon as you go beta this whole thing ends. I’ll need to do the spell again. You have to tell me the moment you shift so we can still get the jump on them with you being a werewolf. They know a werewolf was prowling around where I killed Jon and Evie, but they don’t know you’re with me.”

Derek nodded and began helping Stiles clean up the mess. One everything was tidied up, Stiles shoved everything he had bought into a bag and they made their way to the Jeep. “First stop is Flagstaff, Arizona. You ready?”

“As ready as I can be. Why are we stopping there? Why not just drive until we are too tired to stay awake?” Derek put two bottles of water in the cup holders and pulled out a snack bag from Stiles’ bag before buckling up and waiting for Stiles to get into the Jeep.

Stiles climbed in and started to drive before turning to Derek. “Okay, this coven? They’re insane. I know you already knew that, but listen to this shit. I’ve been given a travel guide. There are specific places I have to stop at where the innkeepers will be under a spell to contact my coven and inform them I’ve made it to a waystation.”

“Do they not trust you?”

“Jolie doesn’t trust anyone. Whenever we go someplace new she makes us all travel separately and to follow these guidelines she sends out. No one gets the same guide.”

“So, she goes through all this extra effort when she could force you all to travel together why?” Derek asked, disliking Jolie more and more by the minute. “That’s just so dumb. I mean, I know I wasn’t a good leader or anything but even I wouldn’t do something this dumb.”

Stiles let out a laugh, “Yeah I do not understand her.”

Derek’s phone rings and Stiles jumps at the noise. Derek laughs at him before answering and putting the phone on speaker. “Hello?”

“Derek, where are you? What happened to Stiles?” Scott’s voice rang out with soft noises of the other pack members speaking in the back.

“Hello Scotty my boy!” Stiles said. “Sorry I ran out on you guys last night. I needed to head back to LA last minute.”

“Okay but why is Derek with you?”

“He stalked me and hid in my car. It wasn’t my choice, really.”

“Please,” Derek huffed. “You could have kicked me out at any time.”

“You said you would follow me!”

“I was worried!”

“Guys?” Scott said loudly, trying to get their attention. “I’m glad you’re getting along, but where the hell are you and when are you coming back?”

“Like Stiles said, we are in LA,” Derek offered. “And I’ll be back after we take a road trip. We are going to bond.”

“What?” Scott asked, disbelief heavy in his voice.

“Don’t worry about it, Scott,” Stiles said with a smile. “I need to go on a trip and Derek wants to come with me. He’ll be back before you know it.”

“What kind of trip?”

“Does it really matter? He’s just going to help me deal with something and then I’ll bring him back to Beacon Hills. Bye!” Stiles hung up the phone before Scott could reply. “How long until they get really angry and call every hour?”

“Let’s see, we started calling every hour a day after when you first left but we actually told them we would be gone so I give it…” Derek ticks off his fingers one by one. “Three days if we’re lucky.”

Stiles laughed as he drove them out of town. “You know what, I think I’m going to like this new Derek.”

~~~

When they got to Flagstaff, Stiles parked his Jeep by the side of the hotel near a door. “I need you to wait by that door and don’t ask any questions. If someone lets you in, thank them and lose them. Otherwise wait for me, okay?”

Derek’s eyebrows shoot up, but he nodded in silence. He only waited a few minutes before Stiles was at the side door, pushing it open for him. He held a finger to his lips in the universal silence gesture and took them to their room. There was only one bed and Derek raised an eyebrow as he sat down on it.

“Look, we’re in a dangerous situation here,” Stiles said, pacing the room as he spoke. “If any of them find out I have someone with me and if any of them find out you’re a werewolf, they’ll rip my throat out. Starting now I’m being watched and I’m not entirely sure by who and where they will be so I need to have my guard up. From now on, we are doing what I say, when I say it. Understood?”

Derek kicked his feet up and settled back on the bed, arms behind his head. “Yes sir. You know, I kind of like bossy Stiles.”

Stiles goes into the bathroom to hide the blush that creeps up on his cheeks.

~~~

That night as they ate the food they brought from LA, Stiles not daring leaving their room for food, Derek opened and closed his mouth a few times as if to say something before remaining silent.

“What is it?” Stiles asked.

After a long moment of silence where Derek just played with some food wrappers, he spoke, “How did you do it? How did you get away?” Derek looked up at Stiles and held his gaze.

“I found a school that wanted me and latched on…” Stiles trailed off at Derek’s sad expression. “Is something going on?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about leaving Beacon Hills for some time now, I just don’t know how to do it.”

“Oh wow. Uhm, do you mind if I ask why?” Stiles started to clean up the food and sat back down at the table with Derek, giving him some time to collect his thoughts.

“I just, I don’t, there’s not,” Derek groaned in frustration.

“Take your time, Derek. Talking about things like this can be hard. I would know.” Stiles rested his hand on Derek’s shoulder and he visibly relaxed.

“I guess I just feel like I don’t have a place in Beacon Hills. Scott is the alpha, so everyone rallies behind him. I’m just some teacher aid and you said yourself that doesn’t suit me.”

“Hey, I was just being an ass. If you’re happy--”

“But I’m not happy.” Derek held his head in his hands, refusing to look at Stiles. “I’m not happy and I haven’t been for a long time.”

“Well, why don’t we work on finding something that makes you happy during this trip? Then, you can focus on that when you get back to Beacon Hills.” After a pause Stiles continued to talk, “I know what it’s like to be unhappy. It’s soul crushing. I’m going to help you find happiness, okay Derek? It’s the least I can do since you’re helping me eradicate evil.”

“Eradicate evil? Isn’t that a bit dramatic?”

“Yes, but it got you to smile,” Stiles pointed out with a smile of his own. “Come on, let’s go to bed and we can fret some more in the morning.”

As they laid in bed, Stiles turned to face Derek. “Thank you,” he whispered. “For trusting me and opening up.”

Derek turned to face Stiles and gave a small smile. “Thank you for listening.”


	7. Closer

In the morning, Stiles made sure that it looked like only one person had stayed in the room. He made sure they only used one towel after showering and gathered half their trash to throw away outside. When they left, Stiles had Derek leave ten minutes before he left and hide in the Jeep until they were far enough away from the hotel that no one could see how many people were in the vehicle.

“I’m sorry about all this,” Stiles said as Derek climbed into the passenger seat. “I just really can’t have them expecting my betrayal.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s kind of exciting sneaking around. Besides, I don’t want my presence to burden you.”

“It definitely doesn’t,” Stiles reassured Derek. “It keeps me sane and I am so grateful to the help I’ll get with dealing with them. I won’t be able to sneak kill the rest of them. They will have to go out with a bang.”

As the days passed, Derek helped Stiles devise a plan on how to ambush the coven as they fell into a comfortable rhythm. Every stop they made Derek would sneak into the room Stiles had and when they left, Stiles would make sure it looked like only one person had stayed. They always shared the bed and ended up talking about Derek and his plans for the future. So far they decided Derek was content with a lot of things and happy when others were happy which really hadn’t gotten them anywhere. As for planning the attack, Derek was going to hide in the Jeep when they all met up and then rush in after Stiles gave the word. And now that Stiles practiced magic giving that word would be a lot easier.

“I just need to go over this again,” Derek said on the fifth day of their trip. They were almost at their last stop before Cincinnati--Salem, Indiana. “I’ll just hear you in my head? Like it will sound like you’re talking to me, but in my head?”

Stiles laughed as Derek brought up the same topic for what felt like the hundredth time. “Yes! And you know what? Why don’t we practice. We can make a pit stop in the Hoosier National Forest and try it out.”

“Why can’t you just say ‘Derek’? I have super hearing you know,” Derek pointed out, confused by all this magic.

“If you think they aren’t going to spell the shit out of our meeting place so no one can hear what’s going on inside then you really are all looks and no brains.”

Derek decided to ignore the jab. “Right makes sense. So, this Hoosier National Forest? What’s that?”

“Yeah!” Stiles started bouncing up and down in his seat. “It’s this, like, giant park. We can go for a hike! And I can collect some witchy things while we are out there. I used to go out there all the time when I lived in Ohio. It’s only like three hours away from my apartment so I’d make day trips at least once a week. Oh, dude it’s so cool out there.” Stiles’ whole face lit up as he told Derek about the park that he had practically lived at for seven years.

As they hiked into the woods, Stiles told Derek the scientific names of every tree and plant they passed. Derek took active interest, trying to remember at least a few of the names. Once they were deep into the woods and no one was around, Stiles shrugged off his backpack and pulled out a couple of crystals.

“Alright, hold this. Make sure it’s touching your skin.” 

Derek took the glowing blue crystal from Stiles and held it up. “What type of stone is this?”

“It’s a Benitoite. Super rare, remind me to tell you how I got it one day. And it’s glowing because of the spell I used earlier. Now wait here.” Stiles’ face lit up again as he pulled a matching stone out but quickly put it in his pocket. “This is going to be so cool.” He ran off into the woods until Derek couldn’t hear even his footsteps.

“Can you hear me?” Stiles’ voice rang loud in Derek’s mind and he spun around trying to find the source.

“What the hell…”

Derek could hear Stiles’ laugh in his head and it calmed him down a bit. “As long as the stones are touching our skin, they’ll relay everything we say out loud to each other. It’s really awesome. Screw walkie talkies! We have magic stones.”

This time it was Derek’s turn to laugh. “Magic stones. You’re really something Stiles. Now get your ass back here.”

“Aww is wittle Dewek scawed of being awone?” Stiles mocked.

“Wittle Dewek,” Derek gritted out, “doesn’t like it when wittle Stiles is out of his eyesight.”

“Dude you sound so funny. Keep talking like that.”

“Stiles seriously,” Derek sighed. “We are getting close to where the witches are. I genuinely do not like having you out of my sight.”

“I like it when you get all protective boyfriend on me,” Stiles said, finally stepping back into Derek’s hearing range. He pocketed the stone and called out, “I’m almost back don’t worry!”

Derek grumbled some more, grateful that Stiles couldn’t hear him anymore.

Halfway through their hike back to the Jeep, Stiles took Derek down another path. “I know that you know this park and all, but that’s definitely not the way back to your Jeep,” Derek pointed out.

“I know I know. But I want to show you something. It’s getting dark and, well, it’ll be better if I just show you.”

“Don’t people not like hiking in the dark? Shouldn’t we leave?” Derek asked as he followed Stiles down the new path, secretly hoping Stiles would ignore reason and continue. He was actually having fun.

“Yeah yeah yeah, but you have to see this.” Stiles navigated them around some rocks and through some trees before coming upon a clearing with some cliffs and a very small waterfall.

“Oh wow,” Derek breathed out as he looked up and saw hundreds of stars.

“Yeah, it’s awesome. Come here,” Stiles grabbed Derek’s hand and led him up some of the cliffs until they were on an area of flat rocks they could lay down on. Stiles sat down and patted the spot next to him. “There’s more!”

“You sound like an excited child who found out they could reach the cookie jar and wants to show their younger sibling.”

“That is terribly specific. I sense past memories,” Stiles joked as he laid back.

“Yeah, Laura really did that once.” Derek was silent as he laid down next to Stiles and looked up at the stars. “Then she ate every single cookie in front of me and didn’t give me any.”

Stiles chuckled softly. “That sounds like quite the upset.”

Derek nodded and found he was smiling remembering his sister. “So, what’s the more you were talking about?”

Stiles reached up and the golden light he showed the whole pack about a week ago appeared again. This time though, it was stronger and left a trail everywhere it went. “So right there, that’s the big dipper,” Stiles said, tracing it so Derek could see it too, the gold trail connecting the stars as Stiles ran his fingers through the air. “And over there is Orion’s Belt. And over here,” Stiles paused with his tongue stuck out, concentrating on the stars. “No wait, right here, is the Aquarius constellation.” Stiles brought his hands down and smiled up at his handiwork. The three constellations connected by golden light fibers.

“Are you an Aquarius?” Derek asked, knowing nothing about the zodiac.

“Nah, I’m an Aries.”

“Where’s that constellation?”

“You can’t see it in October. Only visible in December. And Capricorn, which is your sign Mr. Christmas birthday, is right there.” When Stiles traced the Capricorn constellation, he had the fibers glow green to stand out more.

“You remembered my birthday?” Derek asked, clearly surprised.

“Yeah dude. Remember that one time we tried to throw you a surprise birthday party? Everyone had to be home for Christmas but Erica was adamant about throwing you something on your actual birthday. It was a fiasco.”

Derek smiled at the memory. “It was the best birthday I had gotten to experience in a long time.”

Stiles smiled too and shifted a bit closer to Derek. “I need your body heat. It’s cold.”

Derek laughed and put his arm under Stiles’ head and pulled him closer. They stayed like that for another hour before finally getting up and heading to their last hotel. Stiles tried not to think about how right it felt, snuggled up to Derek out on the rock and how much he wanted to cuddle with Derek in the bed.

It turns out, Stiles didn’t have to wait to cuddle with Derek in the bed for too long. When he woke up, their limbs were tangled together and Stiles was pressed up against Derek. Stiles was utterly appalled by the lack of self-restraint unconscious him had and after he carefully pried himself away from Derek he took a cold shower.

~~~

They made it to Cincinnati without incident and Stiles pulled into a parking lot for an apartment complex. “Home sweet home.”

“So now I can see your two TVs?” Derek joked as he climbed out of the Jeep.

“If you’re lucky, I’ll even let you watch one,” Stiles joked back. They made it up to Stiles’ place and after a quick tour, Derek stood awkwardly by the couch.

“So, uh, is there a hotel nearby or something?” Derek asked hesitantly.

“What, why?” Stiles asked, genuinely confused.

“I mean, this is your apartment. Your home. Won’t the coven think something weird if I stay?”

“Oh, right.” Stiles paused, thinking things over. “You should just stay here. I don’t want you to have to pay for a hotel when you’re more than welcome to use my apartment. Plus, we are back in the town I’ve spent seven years in. If they see me with you I can just say you’re a friend from college. Besides, there isn’t a doorman here they could spell so you can just say you live in the same complex.”

Derek nodded and plopped down on the couch. “Sounds good to me.”

“Okay, cool. Also, we’re going to a party tonight,” Stiles said as he sat down next to Derek and turned the TV on.

“A party?”

“Yeah, my old friend, Olivia, she saw us walk into the building and apparently she’s having a party tonight and we are invited.” Stiles waved his phone at Derek with the text up.

“Isn’t that weird?”

“That Olivia is having a party?” Stiles asked. “No? She literally parties every day. Highest functioning alcoholic I’ve ever met.”

“No, not that. How would I know anything about Olivia?” Derek laughed. “Looks like I’m not the only one who is all looks no brains. But seriously, how did she happen to see us coming into the building? Could she have been spelled?”

“Dude, relax. She lives in the same building. She must have been getting in her car or something. This really isn’t unusual for her.”

Derek sighed, “I really don’t want to go to a party.”

“But it’ll be fun! And you can meet my college friends. Almost all of them stayed out here. Plus I want a distraction from the planning and craziness of what’s going to happen in a couple of days. Jolie said we are all meeting in two days. I need to calm down.”

“I guess I can go keep you company,” Derek agreed after a moment of silence. Stiles threw a fist into the air in a victory pose before settling back down on the couch. 

 

The party was a horrible idea. Stiles decided as he glared at the back of some girls’ head. She had been flinging herself at Derek all night and Derek wasn’t pushing her away. It was really starting to grate on Stiles’ nerves. 

When she left to go get another drink, Derek pulled Stiles to the side. “Are you okay? You’re really tense. Do you want to leave?”

“What, and leave you here alone? No thanks.”

“I wouldn’t stay if you left, Stiles. I don’t even really want to be here.”

“Then why did you come?” Stiles angrily shot back.

Derek raised both of his eyebrows and blinked slowly at Stiles, trying to figure out what was going on. “Okay, we are leaving.” Derek linked hands with Stiles and pulled him out into the hallway. They made their way back to Stiles’ in silence which was promptly broken the moment they closed the door. “What’s wrong?” Derek tried again.

Stiles ran a hand through his hair and thought about how much he regretted his decision to not drink tonight. Maybe if he was drunk he could have actually had fun and not obsessed over how that girl hung off Derek’s arm and kept trying to get him to drink. “I don’t know,” he sighed. “I’m sorry I ruined your night. You could probably go back and get that girl if you wanted.”

“What are you talking about?” Derek asked as he stepped closer to Stiles. “First off, you didn’t ruin my night, and second off, what girl what are you talking about?”

“That girl who was talking to you all night? She was all over you dude!” Derek shook his head and had a confused look on his face. “How could you not notice what she was doing? How did you not see that?”

“Because I was only paying attention to you, Stiles.” Derek reached out and put his hand on Stiles’ shoulder which Stiles shrugged off before taking a step back.

“I don’t need to be protected any more, Derek. I have magic. I’m strong now.” Stiles’ hands balled into fists at his side as he held back tears, trying not to let the fact that Derek still thought he was weak push him over the edge. “I’m not the same useless boy I was in High School.”

“What? Stiles,” Derek’s voice went weak. He couldn’t understand what was going on. “That’s not why. I mean, yes, I want to protect you, but not because you’re weak. I’ve never thought you were weak. Not even in High School.”

“Why else would you want to protect me?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“No?”

Derek took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Stiles, I…I care about you.”

“And I care about you too. Still doesn’t explain dude.”

“Stop acting like you don’t know!” Derek walked forward so they were an inch apart.

“I don’t know,” Stiles said, shaking his head.

“Stiles, I like you. Like like you. Romantically. And sexually, but most importantly, romantically. I want to hold your hand and go on dates with you and listen to you talk about your magic more. I love it when your face does that thing it does when you talk about something you love. I want to see it happen more. I want to go to bed and wake up with you in my arms. I want to kiss you.”

Stiles blinked up at Derek, not able to form words so he kissed him instead. It was a messy, open mouth kiss with too much and not enough tongue. They bumped teeth and laughed while they were kissing. It was perfect.

“I like you romantically and sexually but most important romantically too,” Stiles laughed when they parted.

“Words are hard,” Derek pouted. “Be happy I was able to say anything.”

“Hey, you did better than me.” Stiles smiled. “I just got angry that some random girl was succeeding at flirting with you when I failed so miserably for so many years.”

“She wasn’t succeeding. Trust me.”

“Good. Now, let’s go to bed so you can wake up with me in your arms. I hear that’s something you want to do.”

Derek groaned, but a smile broke out ask Stiles grabbed his hand and pulled him into the bedroom.


	8. The Kids Aren't Alright

In the morning, Stiles woke up to the soft morning light and was pressed tight against Derek. He smiled, knowing that this was real and actually happening. This time subconscious him had done a good thing with cuddling Derek. He snuggled in closer for a brief moment before climbing out of bed and going to the kitchen to make breakfast. Stiles remembered what Derek had said about eggs and bacon not being a true breakfast so he made pancakes and cut up some fruit as well as preparing eggs and bacon.

Stiles was plating the last eggs when his phone rang with a call from Scott. “Hey dude. I’m surprised you waited this long to call what’s up?”

“What’s up is that we haven’t seen Derek in a week. Where the hell are you guys?” Scott sounded terse and tired. 

“It’s actually been six days, but okay. We’re still on the trip,” Stiles tried to keep his voice even, but he really didn’t appreciate the way Scott was talking to him. “Isn’t it like five am over there? Go to bed and we will talk after you sleep. I don’t like grumpy Scott.”

“Five am over there? Stiles where the hell are you? Did you drag Derek to the other side of the country? The world? He needs his pack.”

“It doesn’t matter where we are, Scott. Derek is here because he wants to be. He’s an adult you know,” Stiles pointed out the obvious, hoping that this wouldn’t escalate.

“I get that he’s an adult, Stiles,” Scott’s voice began to raise. “But listen. It’s one thing if you want to cut yourself off from us, but don’t encourage someone else to do the same thing!”

“Dude, it’s been six fucking days. You need to calm down. But whatever Derek decides to do, you need to be okay with it. It’s his life. Why can’t you realize that? This is the same thing that happened when I left.”

“So he is leaving!”

“What? No. I just,” Stiles sighed and sat down at the kitchen table where he could play with the silverware he had laid out. “I’m just saying that you cannot control people, Scott. I know you have this perfect world mapped out in your head, but other people have the ability to make decisions for themselves. And sometimes their decisions won’t align with what you want.”

“I get that, Stiles, but what you need to understand is that Derek is a werewolf. If he’s without pack for too long, he’ll go Omega and that’s dangerous for everyone.”

Stiles shook his head even though he knew Scott couldn’t see him. “No. I won’t let that happen Scott.”

“Why wouldn’t you? You abandoned him along with the rest of us seven years ago! Who’s to say you won’t abandon him again.”

“I genuinely cannot believe you just said that, Scott. When I left you all I knew you had each other. I’m not going to leave Derek stranded and abandoned like some unwanted animal you asshole.”

“Let me talk to Derek,” Scott demanded.

“No. Call him yourself.”

“I swear to God Stiles, I will go alpha on both your asses and--”

“Oh no!” Stiles said in mock horror. “What ever will we do?” he said before hanging up the phone. “Flying ass wipe is what you are Scott. Who knew alpha would look so bad on you,” Stiles grumbled as he stood back up. When he turned around he saw Derek leaning in the doorway, eyes locked onto something in the distance, deep in thought.

“How much of that did you hear?” Stiles asked, walking over to Derek and pulling him into a hug.

“I heard the whole thing. I was watching you finish up breakfast,” he said, hugging Stiles back. “Thank you for defending me.”

“Of course dude. He was being a right ass.”

Derek let out a laugh. “Yeah, he tends to be that way after he fights with Isaac or Allison. He probably has a lot going on.”

“You don’t need to defend him.”

“He’s my alpha. I kind of do.”

Stiles gave Derek a frown, but didn’t say anything else on the topic. After they finish up breakfast, they head out to a local coffee shop Stiles used to frequent.

“And if we sit in my usual booth, no one can hear us!” Stiles said with a grin as he plopped down into a booth in the far corner of the shop.

“If anyone has enhanced hearing then they could hear us,” Derek said, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Nah, this place is super spelled. The owner of the shop is in my old coven and let us practice spells after closing here. We accidentally-on-purpose permanently spelled this corner to be sound proof. You have to be right here to hear what anyone at this table is saying.”

“Accidentally-on-purpose, eh? Sounds like a Stiles Stilinski thing to happen.”

Stiles laughed and reached across the table to hold Derek’s hand. “Okay, so getting back to what makes you happy and what you should do after this trip. Any ideas?”

Derek shrugged. “I enjoyed being outside and hiking the other day. And I like being with you.”

Stiles blushed and coughed into his coffee. “I like being with you too, but let’s try to not make us that creepy co-dependent couple. Have you thought about becoming a park ranger?”

Derek frowned in thought and tilted his head to the side as he thought about it. “I haven’t, but it might be a good idea.”

“Yeah, and there are parks near Beacon Hills so you don’t have to go far to find a job.”

Derek pulled away from Stiles and wrapped both of his hands around his coffee cup. “What if...what if I didn’t want to be in Beacon Hills anymore?”

“What?”

“I just...I don’t know. It’s so hard being there around everyone. Remember when we were talking in that Diner back in Beacon Hills? You said it was hard to see everyone doing so well without you? I feel the same way.

“They all seem to be doing better now that I’m not their alpha anymore and it just...hurts,” Derek’s voice broke on the last word and Stiles leaned forward to hold his hand again.

“Everyone sees how useless I am now and they don’t do anything. They don’t care. Hell, this started back when you were all in High School. It was only bearable back then because you were there,” Derek admitted quietly.

“How did I help at all? We mostly argued.”

“Yes, but you brought light into my life, Stiles. After every time I saw you I would fall into this darkness that would stay until I saw you again.”

Stiles shook his head. “Why didn’t you tell me this back then? I’m so sorry I left, Derek. I didn’t think it would affect anyone, you, like this.”

Derek shrugged. “I guess I didn’t realize it back then. But when I saw you again in LA? Even as I saw you murder those people I thought were innocent at the time...I noticed that there was light in my life again and I started to realize what my feelings were. And when we were around everyone that first time, I think that’s when I really saw what was going on.”

“You realized you liked me when you saw me murder people? Dude, you’re messed up,” Stiles said with a smile, letting Derek know it was a joke. “Honestly, when I was leaving the one person I didn’t want to leave behind was you. I couldn’t think of a way to only stay in contact with you and keep it a secret that I had a major crush on you.”

“You liked me back then too?” Derek asked, clearly surprised.

“Oh yes. Derek, I pined. I wrote shitty poetry about you. I was a mess,” Stiles laughed remembering the crush he had back in High School. “I tried to be less creepy than I was about Lydia.”

“You were so un-creepy that I didn’t even know,” Derek laughed, linking their hands so their fingers were intertwined. “But whatever, that’s all in the past.”

“And as cheesy as this is, we’re together now.” Stiles brought one of Derek’s hands up to his mouth for a kiss. “But seriously, we need to find something that makes you happy. So, park ranger, possibly not in Beacon Hills.”

Derek nodded. “Definitely not in Beacon Hills. I know you don’t want to be that co-dependent couple, and neither do I, but I would like to stay near you…”

Stiles nodded vigorously. “Yes, that is a good idea. Staying close. I actually was secretly hoping you wanted to be that creepy co-dependent couple. We can find some park near a PhD program for me and everything will be picture perfect.”

Derek snorted, “Sure it will be. But we can try and that’s what matters.” 

“Stiles, hey!” A man in all dark clothing came up to the table and smiled at him. He looked over to Derek and down at their interlocked hands and then back to Stiles. “How have you been?” The man’s smile remained, but it looked forced.

“Hey, Kev. I’ve been good. It’s nice to be back in a town I know. I get to reconnect,” Stiles says, raising one of his and Derek’s hands. “This is Derek. He’s an old friend I haven’t seen in a while.”

“Derek,” Kev said with a nod as a way of greeting. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?” Kev said, turning his back on Derek, cutting him out of the conversation.

“Yeah, tomorrow. I’ll be there.”

“Good.” Kev ran a hand through Stiles’ hair before leaving.

Stiles turned to look at Derek and his face was drawn into a scowl. “I don’t like him.”

“I don’t like him either,” Stiles admitted. “He’s always trying to touch me.”

“Maybe he likes you?” Derek said, narrowing his eyes after Kev’s retreating figure. “I really don’t like him.”

Stiles chuckled. “Jealously looks kinda good on you, Der. But no, he definitely doesn’t like me. He’s asexual aromantic. He just likes to be in constant physical contact with someone.”

Derek nodded and relaxed a bit. “He’s the one who called you and told you about everything, right?”

“Yeah. If Jolie would ever admit to having a right hand man it would be Kev.”

“Do you think he knew something was off about me? He definitely didn’t like me.”

“He doesn’t like meeting new people. Especially ones he doesn’t think he’ll need to remember. Don’t worry about it. Everything goes down tomorrow night and then we really won’t have to worry about them.”

~~~

They went back to the apartment and Stiles immediately started to get ready to go back out. “I hate to leave you, but I have to go get a few more supplies. The witchy kind. I don’t want anyone seeing you with me and thinking you are possibly a witch…” Stiles trails off looking at Derek.

“No, I get it. I don’t want them thinking that either. I’ll wait here. No rush.”

“Okay cool. And when I get back maybe we can order takeout and watch a movie?”

Derek smiled up at Stiles. “I’d like that.”

Stiles ran over and kissed Derek before bounding out the door.


	9. Love Someone

Stiles was whistling a show tune as he unlocked his apartment door about an hour later with three takeout menus tucked under his arm. He didn’t know what type of food Derek was feeling, so he wanted to cover all of his bases. They all fell to the floor when Stiles opened his door.

The room was a mess. The couch cushions were thrown about everywhere and the coffee table was turned on its side. Some books were even thrown haphazardly around the room. “Derek?” Stiles called out, scared that there would be no answer. He ran through the apartment, going into room after room, but there was no sign of Derek.

Stiles quickly pulled out a map of the surrounding areas and grabbed his pendulum from his bedside table. He found Derek’s bag and grabbed one of his shirts before walking back to the kitchen counter where he had laid the map out. He held the pendulum in the same hand as the shirt and whispered a tracking spell, but the pendulum didn’t move an inch. Panic rose in Stiles as he tried to figure out what to do next. The tracking spell could have failed for three reasons. One, he did it wrong. After trying two more times with the instructions in front of him he ruled that option out. Two, Derek was dead. Stiles shuddered at the thought and pushed it away, not wanting it to be true. Three, the people who took Derek put an anti-tracking spell on him.

Stiles tried to calm down as he tidied up his living room. Being in a manic panic wouldn’t help anyone. After he slowed down his breathing he looked at the map again. A tracking spell wouldn’t work but what if… Stiles went into his bedroom and gathered a pink candle and a chunk of rose quartz he usually kept under his pillow. He lit the candle and put the stone by the flame. Pulling out a pink pen, he wrote ‘my heart’s desire’ on a piece of paper. He folded the paper up and dropped some of the wax from the candle on it, sealing it shut. Then he held it in his hand and held the pendulum up again, hoping that this would work. Technically, it wasn’t a tracking spell. It was a spell to find what one desired the most. Stiles tried not to think too much about how Derek was what he wanted most in life right now as the pendulum began to move. He located where Derek should be and gathered a few belongings before his phone gave out a shrill ring. It was Jolie’s ring tone.

“Hello?” Stiles answered, still putting knives and guns into a bag. 

“Stiles,” Jolie purred. “I believe we need to talk.”

“I don’t really have time,” Stiles started.

“Oh I know. But I have something you want.” Jolie held the phone up and Stiles could hear Derek screaming in the background.

“What do you want?” Stiles spat out.

“Oh, now now, that’s no way to talk to me,” Jolie scolded.

Stiles rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. “What do you want from me?” Stiles tried again, calmer this time.

“What I want is for you to stop killing my coven, Stiles. I mean, I’m glad you took to the whole killing thing so vigorously, but coven members are strictly forbidden to murder.”

“What are you talking about?” Stiles said, trying to keep up the lie he had been living.

“Do not treat me like I am dumb, Stiles!” Jolie hissed into the phone. “In the past two months you have been part of this coven, seventeen members have gone missing, five of which showed up dead. I know it is you who is orchestrating this. You messed up when you killed Evie and Jon. You shouldn’t have been so lax about hiding their bodies.”

Stiles cursed under his breath. “What do you want me to do?”

“What I want,” Jolie started, “is for you to pay for what you’ve done. Come find us and talk. I’m sure we can sort something out. And I’ll need you to bring all of the daggers you stole.”

“Don’t do it Stiles, there’s--” Derek’s shouts turned muffled as someone shoved something into his mouth.

“It’s up to you Stiles. Either come talk to us or we kill Derek. You have an hour to get here.” Jolie hung up the phone and Stiles just stared at the phone in his hand for a few moments in shock. His phone lights up with a text from Jolie. It’s coordinates for where they are and Stiles confirms it with his pendulum reading from a few minutes before. He continues to gather supplies and on the drive he says a constant stream of spells, all to make him stronger, faster, and quieter. He makes the forty-five minute drive in twenty-four minutes exactly.

Stiles prepares for a few more minutes in the car. He doesn’t bother packing extra clips for his guns. He figures it would be faster to drop them and pick up another one. Stiles is in a narrowed focus rage as he climbs to the top of the warehouse building Derek was being kept in. He finds a skylight and peers down into the building which set him off more. They were taking turns throwing knives at Derek. They would land in his skin with a thud and Derek would jerk in pain with each knife. He appeared to be bleeding and had marks on his skin that weren’t healing which meant Derek was purposefully slowing down his healing. He was waiting to show his power. Waiting for Stiles. Stiles broke the skylight and jumped down, firing guns as he fell to the floor. 

Stiles whispered a landing spell and landed with a roll. Both of his guns were out of ammo so he threw them to the side and pulled out two more from holsters on his side. He ran over to where Derek was chained, firing as he ran and keeping the coven members at bay. Stiles spared a moment to break the chains at Derek’s hands and feet before turning back on his coven members. Stiles used his body to shield Derek as he continued to fire.

Even with the ones he had already killed down, there were far more people there than Stiles had expected. He finished shooting off all the rounds he brought, killing another four before rushing at the closest person standing; it was Kev.

“Bastard,” Kev spat as their knives bounced off each other. “The moment I saw you in the coffee shop with this man I knew something was wrong. We have been here for a week! He doesn’t live out here.”

“Yeah, well fuck you Kev,” Stiles said, not wanting to prolong the inevitable with a conversation. 

Another member of the coven shot a spell out at Stiles and it hit him in the side. He fell to the ground, and Kev climbed on top of him, holding his dagger high. “I’m going to take all the power you’ve gotten from killing our friends, Stiles.”

Stiles laughed around a mouth full of blood. “You miscalculated.”

Kev gave Stiles a confused look before Derek tackled him. They rolled around on the ground for a moment before the quick snap of a neck was heard and Derek stood up and roared. He had gone beta. 

Stiles smiled as the remaining coven members shrieked in anger and fear. They had never dealt with a werewolf before. And the fact that Derek was one was definitely a surprise to them.

Together, they systematically wiped out the remaining coven members until only Jolie was left. She was backed into a corner with only her dagger and a few spells to protect her. She was throwing spells at them left and right, but she was clearly drained from the battle and they were coming at a lesser frequency as each moment went by. Derek was able to slip behind her as she readied another spell and he held her in place as Stiles stalked over to her.

“Do it Stiles,” she said, still struggling against Derek. “Kill me. Get my power.”

Stiles held his dagger up and traced it down her face. “I’m not doing this for power, Jolie. That’s the difference between me and you. This was never about power. It was about revenge.”

Jolie laughed and surged forward so Stiles’ knife cut her cheek. “What’s the difference?” Stiles hesitated, halted by her words when Jolie cursed herself. She went limp and started to dissolve in Derek’s arms. He dropped her lifeless body in shock and she completely dissolved into a dust before she could fall to the ground.

“What just happened?” Derek asked.

“She didn’t want me to have her power. She killed herself. Can you take me home?” Stiles was able to say before he passed out from exhaustion.

Derek scooped Stiles up in his arms and put him in the passenger seat of the Jeep. He drove them back to Stiles’ apartment almost on autopilot, ready for some rest. He didn’t want to think about how this apartment with Stiles felt more like home than Beacon Hills had in a long time.


	10. Young Volcanoes

Stiles woke up in his bed, sore all over from the power he had used yesterday. He touched his side where he had been hit with the spell gingerly and cringed in pain. Those were definitely some broken ribs. Derek wasn’t in the bed and Stiles panicked for a moment before Derek walked back into the room.

“Hey, you’re awake,” Derek said, sitting softly on the edge of the bed.

“You’re okay?” Stiles asked, looking over Derek for any wounds.

“I’m fine. I heal quickly remember? You on the other hand…” Derek trailed off looking Stiles up and down. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks,” Stiles groaned. He went to sit up, but Derek pushed his shoulders back and made him stay laying down.

“Oh no. You need to rest. No unnecessary movement.”

“But I have to pee,” Stiles whined in protest. 

Derek laughed and helped him up. “I guess that is necessary.” After Stiles was done, Derek helped him back in the bed with some pillows propping him up so he could eat.

They ate breakfast in silence, Friends playing softly in the background as a distraction.

“So,” Stiles and Derek said at the same time. They smiled at each other and Stiles nodded for Derek to go first.

“I called Scott,” Derek started. “I told him I was going to be staying out here with you for a while. He really wasn’t happy, but I hung up on him so he doesn’t really have a choice.”

“You hung up on your alpha?” Stiles fake gasped and immediately cringed in pain. “Okay, instant karma. But seriously, what are you going to do?”

Derek shrugged and brushed some of Stiles’ hair out of his face. “I’m going to work on being happy and becoming a park ranger while I help my boyfriend recover from his killing spree.”

“Did I look awesome when I came down from the skylight?”

“Yeah you did,” Derek admitted reluctantly.

“Then it was all worth it,” Stiles said with a smile.

~~~

The next few days passed quietly. Stiles slowly healed and Derek helped him make potions to help him recover faster. Derek also took some of the pain away when it was too much, or Stiles couldn’t fall asleep at night. One day Stiles flailed about and screamed as he was reading a book. Derek ran to his side, panicky. 

“Are you okay? What happened?”

“I know what we can do!” Stiles stood up and kissed Derek before going to his closet full of supplies. He pulled out quite a few herbs along with some candles, chalk, and various colors of salt. Stiles had Derek just sit at the table while he prepared everything.

After a couple of hours, Stiles came over to Derek and pulled him into the kitchen where he had drawn some shapes on the floor. He put Derek in one circle while he stood inside another and handed Derek a drink. “Now we link arms and take a sip.” Derek linked arms with Stiles and held the drink up to his lips, ready to go.

“You’d drink it without knowing what this does?” Stiles balks.

“I mean, you made it. And I trust you. You wouldn’t do anything that hurts me.” Derek shrugged and continued to hold the drink to his mouth. 

“I love you.” Stiles blurted out. He blushed and ducked his head. “I mean, uh, like, it’s fine if you don’t love me and all, but I wanted to let you know that I loved you and--” Derek leaned forward for a kiss but Stiles stopped him. “Dude, I want to kiss you, trust me I do, but that’s the last step in the spell so let’s do this first. Bottoms up.” Stiles tipped back his drink and Derek did too, finishing it quickly. Then they leaned forward and kissed.

Derek’s hands began to roam Stiles body and he sighed contently into the kiss. Derek broke away and looked into Stiles’ eyes. “I love you too, by the way.”

Stiles broke out into a smile and laughed. “Well that’s good. This spell kind of binded us together in a pack-like way. Now you don’t need any other members. We are now a two-person pack.”

Derek’s eyes went wide. “Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, I can undo it if you don’t want it. And if it doesn’t work then we can always go back to Beacon Hills until we figure things out, but yeah this should work. You shouldn’t go Omega,” Stiles explained.

“No, yes, I want this. Thank you.” Derek rested his head on Stiles’ shoulder. “But now you can never leave me.”

“I would never want to,” Stiles said, linking their hands together and resting his head on Derek’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand that's a wrap. The fic ended up being shorter than I wanted it to be but oh well! I hope you all liked it and if you want to come say hi come over to tumblr (itmegalaxybee) and shoot me a message :) Thank you for reading!


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